5 Reasons Why You Need a Personal Development Plan
Beginning today, we will begin a series of articles about creating a personal development plan. By the end of this series, you’ll have everything you need to make your plan for this year. So, let’s start with 5 reasons you need a personal development plan.
A personal development plan assists you in finding your purpose and developing your strengths. It also gives you the confidence to get out of your comfort zone. A good personal development plan will also help you improve your self-awareness. This combination will ensure you know your potential and live up to it with intention. Find your FREE worksheet at the bottom of this article.
Discover Your Purpose
On the road to self-discovery, most people want to know why they are here. If you want to know your purpose in life, focus on your personal development and create a written personal development plan to help you find it.
As you discover what makes you think the way you do, challenge your thoughts, and decide what facts you’ll use to make sound decisions. When you do this, you may come across additional information that will lead you closer to your purpose. You are more likely to feel good about your ideas and actions each day because you know they will have a particular impact.
Develop Your Strengths
Once you discover your strengths as you study yourself and pay close attention to how you feel about your actions, you’ll know what to develop. Focusing on what you are already good at is always preferable to focus on where you are lacking.
Getting additional training, practicing, and learning from others regarding the things you’re already good at doing is a much more pleasurable and successful way to approach your life. You’re naturally good at something that gives you joy and improves you. So, you may as well use your natural gifts.
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
While you want to focus on what you are already good at, sometimes it takes time to see what that is. Getting out of your comfort zone has nothing to do with forcing yourself to focus on things you aren’t good at doing. Instead, it may mean simply showing someone else what you’re good at.
Boost Your Confidence
As you develop yourself, you’ll start experiencing success, and that experience will boost your confidence exponentially. Part of personal development is focusing on learning to have a positive mindset, taking the best care of yourself, and reveling in your skills and experience. When your confidence is strong, you’ll free yourself from paralyzing self-doubt, negative thoughts, and emotions. You can’t help but become strong when you craft and follow a plan based on self-discovery and your goals.
Improve Your Self-Awareness
Since personal development is about you, getting to know who you are is especially important. Knowing who you allow you to learn and lead with your strengths so that you can cope with your weaknesses realistically and kindly without lying to yourself or others about who you are. Self-awareness is the ultimate precursor to authenticity.
It would be best if you also had a personal development plan because you’re much more likely to succeed at anything when you have a plan. A personal development plan is a documented set of facts and information to help guide and direct you through the actions and habits that make up your life. For example, if you want to succeed in any dream, it starts with a goal. Then, through intelligent goal setting, your goals become a plan that you can follow, track, and even change throughout your life while remaining focused on your ultimate dreams and goals.
Use this worksheetto write out a simple plan you can start following today. Click on the words “this worksheet” to get your Free Copy Today.
Is Success Taking YOU Longer Than YOU Think it Should?
I get it – You have big goals for your business. Who doesn’t these days? Is Success Taking Longer Than You Think it should for you and your business?
I understand…you have large visions for your business, your success, and for your business to attain the goals you’ve established. Any major success you want to obtain is just beyond your reach.
BUT…
It’s probably going to take a lot longer than you anticipate when you start the journey. And that’s ok because everything worth having in life is all about the journey to get there.
After all, it’s just human nature to want to be successful. Right?
We get a good idea about something we want to be, do, have and the idea captures our minds and our emotions. The honeymoon phase is awesome, don’t you think? You are daydreaming and brainstorming of your exciting new idea. The world of possibilities that will open up once you reach this new goal is hypnotizing. (Now this is YOU talking to yourself… “This is so awesome; this is the greatest idea I’ve had in such a long time”.)
AND…
You are energized and ready to take on the world. But…but…but…
If you are new to this game, I’m sorry to tell you but you have a big ass mountainahead of you. And no one has ever successfully scaled a mountain quickly and easily. Yes, that is absolutely true, trust me!!
Sure, from a distance, that mountain may not look that big. It looks like fairly smooth terrain and a manageable grade when you stare at the mountain from a few miles away. You excitedly sprint to your starting point. Now…on your mark…get set…and GO!
Now, this is when the work begins and within a very short period of time, reality starts to sink in at the difficulty and struggle that awaits you. OMG!!!
Are YOU READY for this?
MOST people don’t make it far enough up the mountain to be invested in the journey. This certainly isn’t YOU, is it?
They quit early enough that the pain of investment isn’t harsh enough. The sting of quitting isn’t harsh enough.
However, if the goal at the summit of your mountain is something that you REALLY want… and you have enough reasons to get there (and enough reasons not to quit), then your first mission becomes the “investment phase”. Ahhhh…
We all know that you have to put in enough blood, sweat, and tears to reach a point where turning around and quitting would be more painful than continuing.
AND…
Once you reach this point, you gain a whole new perspective on life. The struggle doesn’t go away, but it takes on a new form. You find a sort of peace and “sense of knowing” during your struggle.
Yes, you know you will make it to your goal… you just don’t know how long it will take. But it almost doesn’t matter because you no longer count the cost. You are focused purely on the journey. YOUR journey, towards success.
This is an easy metaphor to understand but it applies to anything in life.
Make a point to first be the kind of person who dreams, has big visions and gives yourself permission to set major goals.
Then, make CERTAIN you stay with it long enough that turning around is no longer an option.
Because even though it will likely take far longer than you think to reach your peak, you will.
Is Success Taking Longer Than You Think?
Don’t stop dreaming, don’t stop reaching, keep climbing. I can show you how. Contact me by filling out the form below. Let me help you.
In life, there is a time and place for both negative and positive thoughts. A negative thought process will become a habit or begin to have adverse effects on you.
Believe me when I tell you that is NOT a good thing to have in your life.
You know what? It’s time for you to make an attitude change and cultivate a positive mindset.
Here are the top tips to help you cultivate a positive attitude:
1. Do NOT complain. Complaining is a very negative response to any situation that drains you of energy.
2. Express gratitude every day, even for the small things. Eventually, you will become grateful for everything.
3. Keep a list of things you have accomplished.
4. Let go of the people around you who are negative, critical, and abusive of you. They drain your energy, surround yourself with supportive, positive people.
5. Help others. You can become a volunteer occasionally.
6. Learn to meditate daily. Even a 10-minute meditation first thing in the morning will help you start your day on in the right direction.
7. Let go of envy. Envy is a very negative emotion. It eats at you, pointing to the faults we see in ourselves.
8. Be kind and smile at others.
9. Choose to be happy. Happiness is a choice. If a negative thought enters your mind, push it out quickly. Substitute a happy thought.
10. Have faith in yourself. Believe the Universe will help you.
11. Read inspiring stories and watch inspirational movies or television shows.
A positive attitude is one of the stepping-stones to success. Yes, everyone has a negative thought occasionally and you may be able to counteract it with a positive one. I use this concept all the time.
When a negative thought fills your mind, it may be time to change your mindset.
What is a Thought Process?
a thought process in which ideas (words or images) suggest other ideas in a sequence. construction, mental synthesis. the creation of a construct; the process of combining ideas into a congruous object of thought. abstract thought, logical thinking, reasoning. thinking that is coherent and logical.
But, how do you do change your negative thoughts?
Become aware of your thoughts. The trick is to take control of your thinking. Frequently ask yourself, “What am I thinking right now?” Learn to recognize your negative thinking patterns and replace them with realistic, positive alternatives.
When something negative enters your mind, immediately replace it with a positive one.
Here’s an example: “I can’t believe that jerk cut in front of me! Positive thought change: “I’m not rushed and in a hurry like that guy. He must be extremely stressed.”
Or this, negative example: “I can’t believe the poor service at this restaurant today!” “The waitress must be having a bad day because the service is usually great here.”
Read inspirational, positive quotes and articles. Read about the lives of successful and happy people.
Do the things you love. Try to do at least one thing every day that you enjoy doing.
Visualize your life, as you want it to be. Create a visual map. As negative thoughts intrude, look at your map to remind you of what you want.
In the end, everyone has a negative thought occasionally. The trick is to recognize and replace them with positive thoughts immediately so you don’t dwell on them.
Will you let me help to change your mindset? Contact me below and let’s set up a call. I’d love to help you figure out how you can change your thought process, from negative to positive.
This One Thing Can Transform Your Life from Dull to Fabulous
Transformation, really, you say? If your life seems dull and boring, then it is time to turn it around. Yes, I’m talking to you! You sitting there trying to be all pouty and sad. You don’t have to settle for dull and humdrum, instead, you can choose to go after fun and fabulous! Come on, a little fun is NOT going to hurt you. Besides, you know that old saying, “All work and no fun”? I don’t remember who said that right now, but that’s not the point.
Listen up…
So what is it that can completely transform your life for the better?
Is it money?
Perhaps a life partner?
What about fame?
While all of those will change your life, often for the better, there is an often over-looked something that will create an incredible and positive change in your life. Gasp!!
“There is no fulfillment in things whatsoever. And I think one of the reasons that depression reigns supreme amongst the rich and famous is some of them thought that maybe those things would bring them happiness.
But what, in fact, does is having a cause, having a passion. And that’s really what gives life’s true meaning.” Ben Carson.
As you can see from the quote above a cause, a passion and therefore, a purpose is what will give you a life transformed from dull to amazing. It won’t require you to spend thousands of dollars or go to extreme lengths. No, not really.
You can have all the latest gadgets, fast cars, new clothes, holidays and top job but unless you are passionate about what you do and why you do it, they will feel worthless and hold little meaning for you. They may make you feel excited and happy in the beginning but over time they lose significance and no longer have the power to engender positive emotions. Am I right? Just think of everything you do have…is it making YOU happy?
If you want to find fulfillment and happiness, then it’s time to focus on what you can do to create it in your life. Instead of focusing on material things consider what you can do to create a difference in the world. It doesn’t have to be massive and impact the entire population of the Earth. It may be something that you feel passionately about that is local to you.
ChhoukNet / Pixabay
By taking up a cause or a passion project that is bigger than you, it allows you to start making an impact on the world around you. By giving yourself to this passion you will receive energy, positivity, excitement, and happiness.
It may be that your passion is to write children’s books. Your books would then inspire a new generation of children to read and learn. You would be creating a legacy with the power to affect future generations.
Don’t let life pass you by. You don’t have to accept a miserable or mundane existence. You have the power to create the life you want. You really do! So, find your passion and purpose, follow it and create a life of joy, excitement, challenge, and adventure that can inspire others.
Create a legacy you’re proud to leave to your fellow humans. Do the thing, your best thing!
Why You Should Find Your Passion and Follow It. How does your life make you feel? Now, do you wake each morning looking forward to the day ahead? Or do you wish you could just bury your head under the covers and stay there? Your outlook will depend on many things but one of the most important factors that can change your day-to-day life is passion.
So What is Passion?
Passion is an extreme and positive emotion. A strong and compelling desire for someone or something that inspires you and creates happiness. While it can be an emotion felt towards another person, here we are looking at THE passion for life and work.
Why Do You Need It?
“Without it, you don’t have energy, without energy you have nothing.” Donald Trump. A quote he has used many times in his career.
Without it in your life, you will probably find that your days often feel dull and tiresome. There may be a sense of something being missing or lacking. You might also feel tired and depressed. This can be the result of the negative energy surrounding you due to the lack of passion and the positive energy it brings.
Finding your passion for life can create enormous change. You will find that you look forward to the day ahead and actually want to get out of bed in the morning. You will have more energy and focus. Additionally, you’ll feel more creative and inspired to follow your dreams and create those goals you’ve been meaning to accomplish. Don’t you think so?
Your passion for life will also help you create better relationships with others including family, friends, and colleagues. They will respond to your positive energy and enthusiasm.
Of course, your passion in life might also be a way for you to create it in your work also. This can result in a huge shift in your life as you will not only be living the life you love but you will also be undertaking work that you love as well. Wouldn’t it feel amazing to earn an income from doing something that inspires you and brings you joy?
Finding passion for something can create an enormous shift in your life and emotions. It can help you to live a fulfilling life where every day is full of purpose, energy, commitment, and achievement. If life feels dull, uninspiring and leaves you with little energy and focus then why not look for that something, a cause, hobby or career, that feels right and sparks joy within you? You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes to you, your relationships and possibly, your finances. Now THAT would create a whole NEW interest in PASSION, wouldn’t you say?
Let me know how you feel about creating some passion in your life. If you need a little inspiration, you can always give me a call!
So, Just What are the 5 Steps to Finding YOUR Passion?
What is PASSION? Let me explain it to you. According to Merriam Webster, “passion means intense emotion compelling action. Passion applies to an emotion that is deeply stirring or ungovernable.”
If you want to live your best life and find happiness, then you need to find your passion and follow it. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? It actually isn’t that hard you know. So it’s surprising that so many people don’t do it. They seem happy to just exist rather than living a life of happiness and success.
Am I right?
How many people do you know that just sits on the sidelines and does nothing to create a life that is passion-filled? I bet you don’t even have enough fingers and toes! lol
So, here’s what I’ve got for you today. I know, it’s so simple that a 3rd grader can do it because they actually can still dream!
To change your life for the better and create a future, check out the easy five steps below.
Step 1: Dream Big
Everyone has big dreams. Even YOU! What have you done with yours? Do you think about them, act on them or hide them away?
If you want to find your passion and purpose, then it’s time to dream big. I mean REALLY BIG!!
So here goes, get a piece of paper and a pen. List all of those big dreams you’ve had from childhood to today. No matter how wild or funny, write them all down. Go ahead, I’ll wait!
NOW:
Which of those dreams resonates most with you? Which makes your heart sing and inspires you the most? Is it realistic and achievable?
If you’ve set your sights on being the first full-time resident of Mars, then you’ll probably need to take another look at your list and find something that is more realistic and achievable but almost as exciting to you! What? You mean I need to dream bigger than this?
Remember, your big dream doesn’t have to be outrageous or huge. It just needs to be big enough to push you out of your comfort zone. And YOU need to be willing to commit to making changes in your life so that you can achieve it. You need to want it. It needs to spark desire and passion in you. You get it right?
Step 2: Set Goals
Oh no…I dread this one! Once you’ve decided what your ideal or dream is then you need to set goals. Your end goal is what you want to achieve; your dream.
There will be other, smaller goals, that you will need to achieve along the way. You need to note these down as well.
You still have your paper and pen right? You mean you threw it away already? What’s the matter with you silly? Now you have to go back to Step 1.
Step 3: Plan Your Way
Ok, now that you know what you want and need to achieve, it’s time to plan what you need to do to get there.
Think about what action you need to take, resources you will need and anything or anyone that can provide help and support. That might even be ME!! You never know right?
Step 4: Take Action
You know what you want, what you can expect from yourself, how you can achieve it and the steps to take. Right? So…It’s time to take action.
Remember you are looking for a passion-filled life. One that fills you with excitement, joy, and success. You can’t just want it, you have to do something to make it happen.
Step 5: Live Your Best Life
Once you’ve started taking action on your goals and plans you will find that your life starts to improve.
Instead of dreading each day you’ll look forward to it with excitement and anticipation.
Your best life is the one that gives you happiness, success, and achievement through living your passion and purpose.
If you want to find and live your passion, then you can follow the five steps above. You can do it on your own or you can give yourself a helpful boost by using a coach or mentor.
And I can help you with that because I’m getting ready to launch my NEW MENTORING PROGRAM. So you’ll want to stay tuned and watch closely for the BIG Announcement….coming soon!
Do you have the right perspective? Want to know what keeps a lot of service providers and coaches from charging what they’re really worth?
It’s that all-too-common belief that “I am not a salesperson.” Combine that with a healthy dose of “It’s rude to discuss money,” and you can see why it’s just easier to keep your rates low.
It’s time to think of your services from a different perspective!
Not only will you see things in a clearer light, but selling suddenly won’t feel so…salesy.
Here’s how traditional pricing discussions go which is soooo boring!
You talk to a potential client, and you explain what you can offer, how your coaching or service works, what he or she can expect (how many calls/emails, phases of work, length of contract), etc. And then you say, “My rate is $XXX.00.” OMG – simple right?
Your client either says yes, no or (the kiss of death) maybe. LOL…
So now…Let’s turn that around and rather than focus on what he or she will get from YOU, take a look at what she will achieve when she hires you.
For a business coach, this is easy. Talk money!
How much more profit will your client make when she hires you?
Example
If your coaching fee is $1,000 per month, but you can show her how to increase her sales by $3,000 per month, then your price is inconsequential. She’ll earn it back three times over, not only while you’re actively coaching her, but for the rest of her business life.
Now, who wouldn’t jump on that with both feet? I know I would if I was looking for a coach!
What you’re doing here is not talking about the cost of your coaching, but rather the cost of not hiring you. Because if she doesn’t work with you, she’s losing $3,000 per month. See how that works?
What about other kinds of coaches or service providers though?
The same applies, you just have to find a way to show your clients the cost of their inaction.
If you’re a life coach, inaction (to your potential client) might mean years of feeling unhappy and unfulfilled
Imagine what it might be worth to your client to lift that depressing burden forever?
The same goes for health and wellness coaches.
Can you add 10 years to the life of an unhealthy, overweight man? That’s priceless.
What about dating coaches?
For someone who’s been unlucky in love, in and out of one bad relationship after another, the promise of a man (or woman) who will love and cherish them is worth nearly any price.
You just have to paint the picture…ahaa…I know, right? You didn’t realize painting was in your future, did you?
What will life/business/love look like without your coaching services, and what can it look like with you? Same goes for Virtual Assistants and any type of Virtual Service Provider.
Once they see the difference, pricing becomes nearly irrelevant.
So, you see…it’s all about perspective! How do you feel about this? Let me know in the comments below.
And, if you’re looking for someone to help you with your perspective, I can help you with that too. Contact me and let’s set-up a call to chat.
The interactive world we live in allows for plenty of distractions. Oh really you say? Let me count the number of ways for you.
There are distractions by our:
Coworkers
Spouses
Kids
Cell phones
TV, especially commercials!
And on and on!
Then, there are our own vices like browsing at the latest sports scores or seeing which band is going to be playing at our favorite music venue. Right?
Some of these distractions are welcome and should be of course.
But all too often, they can become a nuisance that interferes with our productivity.
You hear me all you distractions? Lol
Use the following tips to stay focused. These are really good so pay attention!
1 – Determine Your Most Productive Work Times
We all have ebbs and flows in productivity. For instance, if you are a writer, you may find that writing in the morning is your most optimal time.
If that is the case, concentrate your writing schedule to mornings only and use the afternoon for other tasks.
You may need to track what you are doing for several days or weeks to see when these optimum times are occurring and their frequency. Or, you might already know.
And, there are software packages that can help do the tracking for you.
One to try is Pomodoro. It allows you to work in chunks of time so you at least “feel” like you’re productive.
2 – Plan on What Success Means To You
Just throwing together a bunch of tasks is as useful as having no tasks defined. In other words, neither are very useful. Use a To-do list tracker like you can find here.
Work with your coach to determine what kinds of tasks or goals will be needed for you to increase your productivity.
Your coach will have your objectives in mind which can be used to determine how you can contribute to those.
The great thing about doing this consistently is that you can make adjustments for the tasks that are not working out or where you need extra help.
This is actually a great time-saver because you might just be spinning your wheels at doing nothing. You think you are, but you’re just staying busy…it’s called “busy work”!
Your coach will praise you for trying to become more productive and for being proactive. (Praise!!)
3 – Give Yourself a Break
Having a well-defined plan is a great way to increase your productivity.
But don’t beat yourself up if you happen to have a few days that are not as productive as others.
Sometimes, the tasks are going to slip up and you are going to be more distracted than others.
And guess what? It’s normal and you should account for some downtime to recharge yourself. Take a nap, a bubble bath or take a walk to re-energize yourself.
No one is expecting you to be a productivity robot. (Usually, it’s you that thinks this way!)
4 – Be Consistent
Time management is a skill and needs to be learned and applied. Yes really! I heard your mind working on you, saying that you don’t have that “skill”. You have to learn it!
It takes some adjusting in the beginning but it’s really just a matter of changing how you structure it and the tasks to complete your work. Yup, you heard that right my friend.
Adjusting takes time, it’s not something you can do in just an hour a day.
This requires a consistent commitment to yourself and to making it work.
What is commitment? Something you need to seriously consider.
Here’s the definition:
com·mit·ment
kəˈmitmənt/
noun
the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. “the company’s commitment to quality”
an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.
“business commitments”
synonyms:
responsibility, obligation, duty, tie, liability;
task;
engagement, arrangement
“the pressure of his commitments”
So, tell me, what type of changes are you going to make to increase your “Time Management”?
Let me know in the comments below…I’d be interested in knowing what you do in your business.
If you are looking for someone to help you with your time management, connect with me. I would love to chat with you to see how I can help you create “Time Management” in your business.
What…A DISCOUNT? Are you kidding ME? How can I stay in business if I’m giving a discount? I can hear you now grumbling, sighing, telling yourself that well maybe if I did that, I’d make some more money, I would have more clients…and so on.
Definition
dis·count ˈdiskount/Submit noun 1. a deduction from the usual cost of something, typically given for prompt or advance payment or to a special category of buyers. “many stores will offer a discount on bulk purchases” synonyms: reduction, deduction, markdown, price cut, cut, rebate “students get a 10 percent discount” verb ˌdisˈkount/Submit 1. deduct an amount from (the usual price of something). “current users qualify for a discounted price” synonyms: deduct, take off, rebate;
How to Never Lower Your Rates Again
It’s happened to every service provider and coach at one time or another—probably more than once.
You offer a proposal or contract, only to have your potential client respond with, “That sounds great, but I can’t afford it.” Wawawa…
So what do you do?
For a lot of coaches and service providers, their first response is to lower their rate. After all, they reason, she really does need my help. Plus its good karma, and she’ll talk about me with her friends, and refer business to me later. Unhuh…
Maybe, but more likely than not. What you do end up with is a client who takes far too much of your time. For less money than you deserve. You wind up resentful, and wondering why you aren’t earning the living you know you’re capable of.
Sound familiar?
I want you to make a promise to yourself right now that you will never again lower your rates to appeal to a client. Doing so devalues your services, makes the client less likely to follow through, and worse, makes you feel terrible later. You are listening to me, right?
Now, I’m not saying you can never offer special deals
But I do want you to change how those offers are made. Here’s how it works.
If your coaching package includes:
1 45-minute call per month
1 email per day
1 in-person meeting per quarter
and 1 mastermind retreat per year
And your potential client claims to not be able to afford your asking price of $1,000 per month, rather than offering to reduce the price, you offer to reduce the price and the package. Right?
So the offer you make to her now includes everything BUT the mastermind retreat. Or everything BUT the in-person meeting every quarter. Doesn’t that make sense?
You have not lowered your rates so far that you feel used, but at the same time, you’ve worked with her to create a plan she can afford. It’s a true win-win for both of you.
The same technique can be used for any type of coach or service provider unless you’re charging strictly by the hour. If that’s the case, take a look at how you can reduce the number of hours you need to invest while still providing value. Yes, sounds simple no?
For example, rather than offering four one-hour calls, change your plan to just two calls, with email follow-ups. She’ll still get plenty of value, and you’ll free up some time by inviting email questions rather than blocks of time on the phone. This is so simple…right?
So, the next time you’re asked to reduce your rates for anything, take a close look at how you can also reduce the work you’ll be doing. That way you’ll never feel as if you’ve been taken advantage of, and your clients will still get great service.
Speaking of providing service…I can do that for you. Contact me here. I would love to help you provide quality service to your clients. It’s so easy, just fill out the form and once I receive it, we can set up a 15-minute call at no cost to you. You know, if you’re over-worked I can find some solutions that will help you find the time to enjoy your life as well as get you out of overwhelming tasks that keep you burning the candle at both ends.
BTW – Do you have a website for your business? You might want to take a look at purchasing my Content Marketing Guide. It will help you put your content in all the right places. Yup…it will! And…at only $7 Bucks…it’s a real steal. So go ahead and get it…and get your content out there.
Please leave a comment below and let me know if these suggestions are helpful to you and your business.
